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Raphael Bostic, Atlanta Fed president, regarding the moral and economic impacts that institutional racism has on the country. (Reuters — June 15, 2020)
The number of Clark County, Nev., public school students who were unaccounted for by the end of the school year, with many lacking computers or Internet access, or having gotten a job instead of attending online schooling.
Gov. DeSantis signed the Essential State Infrastructure bill that would establish more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along state highways, in hopes of reducing the impacts of climate change.
Ohio’s sixth-largest city still does not require police officers to wear body cameras. But, as protests have called for greater police transparency and reform, Mayor Whaley is beginning to reconsider the technology.
500,000 Houstonians lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. As the city begins to reopen, it must establish a new working normal as recovery will still take months or even years.
Mayor Ted Wheeler called for a reorganization of the current civilian oversight system of the city’s police, though many are waiting to see the mayor’s words turn into actions first.
Attorneys general have the power to oversee the police departments in their states that need to be turned around. Solutions handed down from Washington are slow, cumbersome and unevenly applied.
Tim Humphrey, IBM’s top executive in North Carolina, regarding the lack of diversity within tech companies. (The News & Observer — June 10, 2020)
The amount that it cost California to deploy 8,000 National Guard troops across the state during recent protests against police violence, including $18.2 million to deploy troops in Los Angeles County.
Especially amid coronavirus concerns, voters are receiving more of their election information online. This means that candidates must combat disinformation from bots and trolls in addition to convincing voters.
Across the state, more than 1,000 private labs run tests, collecting DNA swabs and personal information. Standards for data collection vary, raising data security concerns. Some labs have no previous health-care experience.
California’s Legislature recessed in mid-March over concerns of the spread of the coronavirus. Now, the legislators are back but many aren’t pleased with how the governor is still enacting his powers.
There have been Black Lives Matter protests in more cities and towns than any set of demonstrations in U.S. history. Rather than traveling to the nearest big city, residents are determined to take a stand close to home.
Google and Apple paired up to produce software allowing health departments to create apps that trace how COVID-19 spreads. But most states aren't interested in the system and most Americans don't want tracing apps at all.
After decades of revival, they've been dealt severe blows across multiple dimensions by the coronavirus pandemic, putting them in danger of a period of extended decline.
The challenge for government's information security executives is to integrate risk-mitigating technology into core services and processes — and to play the long game.
Amazon, regarding its decision to restrict police use of its facial recognition technology for a year. (NPR — June 10, 2020)
The number of new coronavirus cases that are confirmed every day, as the virus continues to spread across the globe.
The state is spending millions of dollars on contact tracing, but only 48 percent of those infected are answering the call from contact tracers, reducing the effectiveness of its response to the coronavirus.
The Census Bureau claims to have improved its ability to provide accurate data without risking the privacy of its responses, but experts are concerned there isn’t time to test the method before the data is published.
The state altered unemployment benefit payments from weekly to biweekly without notifying any of the applicants or recipients. A spokesperson claims the weekly payments were only to help offset the pandemic emergency.
Responding to national protests, Gov. Whitmer called for an increase in police training on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques as well as other measures to ensure safety and trust across the state.
From the Great Depression to the 1960s and on, local governments have found innovative ways to cope under extraordinary pressures. The pandemic is testing them once again.
To date, dozens of bills and resolutions have been introduced by legislators to address shortcomings with police training, qualified immunity and racial profiling, including the use of facial recognition technology.
Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor, regarding Georgia’s poorly executed primary election this week. Georgia voters experienced long lines at polling places, voting machine malfunctions and absentee ballots that didn’t arrive in time for the elections. (AP News — June 10, 2020)
The amount that the Federal Communications Commission has proposed to help expand broadband services. The funds would be awarded in an auction system and repaid by auction applicants over 10 years.
Protestors are calling for cities to ‘defund the police,’ but the odds of that happening are low. Philadelphia will be watching to see what happens in Minneapolis as the city considers such a move.
Activists and politicians in Massachusetts say the need to ban government use of facial recognition is dire, as protests about racial injustice sweep the nation. Many are concerned about its bias and lack of transparency.
Calbright College in California has been criticized for its high costs per student, lack of accreditation and difficulty providing accurate enrollment data. Others see it as an opportunity for nontraditional students.
Democrats have inquired whether agencies, like the FBI and Customs and Border Protection, have tracked protesters via facial recognition or cellphone data. Many are concerned about infringement of First Amendment rights.
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